SOC Seagull lost July 1942 USS WICHITA

[Brian]

Hi guys

During the early part of Convoy PQ17, the US cruiser WICHITA fomed part of the escort. Apparently she lost one of her Curtiss SOC Seagull observation aircraft and its crew, circa 4 July. Seeking details including identity of crew, please.

On 4 July, two of the Seagulls, complete with depth charges, were engaged by German seaplanes (?). The account I've seen says both returned but possibly one did not (see above).

Cheers
Brian

[Laurent Rizzotti]

There is no loss of SOC or any USN floatplane in North Atlantic listed between June and August 1942 by the site, that has lists of oversea USN losses:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/losslist.htm

But the list is not complete, so you can keep searching...

Edit: the rather detailed Wichita story below indicated that two SOC Seagull took off on 4 July and both returned.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w7/wichita-i.htm

Edit2 (I'm typing faster than I am thinking today):
The War Diary of USS Wichita for July 1942 is available on the fold3 website:
http://www.fold3.com/browsemore/hsEU...QFQnTjteDV_-1/
You have to register to see it.

[Brian]

Hi Laurent

Thanks for that.

I am quoting from 'PQ17 Convoy to Hell' (Lund & Ludham) page 182 of paperback version. Lt Douglas Fairbanks was aboard Wichita as an official observer, and wrote (in his official report) regarding the order to return to Iceland (4 July):

"Two of our Wichita observation pilots had already died before we could fish them out of the drink ....."

Cheers
Brian

[dp_burke]

Ancestry.com have the muster rolls for USS Wichita and one document whcih is a nominall roll for the quarter ended 30 September 1942 records NO DEATHS from the aviation unit, and only five transfers of personel.

Unit is listed as VCS-7, aviation unit.

Also noting that I cannot see a 'Douglas Fairbanks' on the Wichita rosters, but if he was only an observer, might not show up.

That name appears no where in the 1942 rosters on any ship.

Closest I can see was a Douglas C Fahrenback at the end of August 1942, rank EM3c, Electrician's Mate, 3d Cl

[Col Bruggy]

Hello.

It was Douglas Fairbanks Jnr., the ACTOR !

On the morning of 25 June, two days out from Scapa Flow, Hamilton's flagship "London" anchored in Hvalfiord, Iceland, where the American battleship "Washington" and the American cruisers "Wichita" and "Tuscaloosa"already lay. Some hours later, Lieutenant Douglas Fairbanks Jr, USNR, Admiral Giffen's Flag Lieutenant, reported aboard the "Wichita" for temporary additional duty's during the operation that was to follow. Fairbank's wrote an hour-by-hour chronicle* of the events in the cruiser force for his Admiral's personal files.

See:
The Destruction of Convoy PQ.17
Irving,David.
New York:Simon & Schuster,1968.
pp.37-8

* Lieutenant Douglas E. Fairbanks, Jr., USNR.
"Cruiser Covering Force, June 25 to July 8, 1942. (94 pages)."

Col.

[dp_burke]

Good for him Col,

just saying he is not on any transcribed roster on that database the whole year of 1942.

if I get a chance I will check the VCS-7 roster names between June and September to see if there are unaccounted changed names.